Protector for shoe-uppers



(No Model.)

S. W. WALES. PROTEGTOR FOR SHOE UPPERS.

No. 486,171. Patented Nov. 15, 1892.

' Unrrrnio STATES PATENT Genres.

SIMEON W. WALES, OF NORTH ABINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PROTECTOR FOR SHOE-UPPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,171, dated November 15, 1892.

Application filed August 20, 1892.

. To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SIMEoN W. WALES, residing in North Abington, countyot' Plymouth, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Hoods or Protectors for Linlngs of Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures onthedrawings representinglike parts.

This invention relates to a hood or protector for linings of boot or shoe uppers, and has for its object to provide a simple, cheap, and efficient protector or hood.

Prior to my invention I am aware that protectors or hoods for linings of boot or shoe uppers have been made of a single piece of cloth. In practice it frequently occurs that the hood or protector is used two or three times-that is, it is employed to protect the linings of two or three shoes. A-shoe-upper as it passes through the diiferent stages or steps in the manufacture of the shoe is subjected to a very considerable handling by the operators, and it frequently occurs that the cloth protector becomes soiled to such an extent as to render it unfit for further use after passing through the different stages as a protector for one shoe-lining, in which case the hood or protector is usually thrown away. So, also, it frequently happens that the hood or protector is not soiled enough to render it completely useless after passing through the different stages with one boot or shoe, and to economize the soiled hood or protector is used to protect the lining of a second shoe-upper. The hood or protector is more or less soiled when used with the first shoe-upper, and when used with a second shoe-upper the soiled hood or protector is liable to deface the clean lining of the second boot or shoe with which it is used. Owing to the vast number of boots and shoes made the item of hoods or protectors is an important one, and when made entirely of cloth, as has been described, is an item of considerable expense to the manufacturer.

My present invention has for its object to provide a protector or hood for the linings of boot or shoe uppers which can be used with safety on one shoe and can then be thrown away on account of its cheapness.

In accordance with my invention the main Serial No. 443,581. (No model.)

body of the hood or protector is made of paper or other fibrous material, having secured to its back substantially near its longitudinal center a reinforcing strip or piece of textile material, such as tape, and for the best results I prefer to split or divide the paper hood and its reinforcing-strip for a portion of their length.

Another feature of my present invention consists in forming the paper hood or protector, as will be described, so that it can be adjusted and made to fit the uppers'of different-sized shoes.

The particular features in which my invention consists will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 represents a boot or shoe upper provided with a hood or protector embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a flat or developed View, on a smaller scale, of the hood or protector shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a side elevation of the hood folded up into the position it occupies when applied to a boot or shoe upper.

My improved hood or protector consists, essentially, of a main body portion a, of paper of other fibrous material, made substantially V-shaped, having sufficient strength to withstand considerable usage. The body portion ahas glued or otherwise secured to it, near its longitudinal center, a reinforcing-strip a of cloth or other textile material, the said strip for the best results being extended beyond the member or body a to form a lasting-tag a which in practice is secured to the last and securely holds the hood or protector within the shoe-upper. The memberor body a and its attached reinforcing-strip a are for the best results split or divided longitudinally, as at Fig. 2, for aportion of theirlength, the body a. being thus partially divided into two halves or portions 2 3 to enable the hood to more completely conform to and fit the curve of the back of the shoe upper and also to clear the strap b that is, to afford an opening through which the strap may pass. The halves or portions '2 3 of the body a, are preferably provided at their upper end with a re-entrant portion a which forms folding flaps a a the flap a being folded back over the front edge of the shoe-upper, as represented in Figs. 1 and 3, and the fiap a folding down over the upper edge of the shoe-upper, as represented in said figures. By means of the folding flaps a a the hood or protector may be applied to the shoe-uppers of difierent sizesas, for instance, with a small shoeupper the flap as may be folded back to substantially the point 4: and the flap a may be folded downward to substantially the same point; but with a larger shoe-upper the flap a may be folded back to an intermediate pointas, for instance, to the dotted line 7while the flap a is folded down to the point 4:. The flaps a a of the hood or protector when folded over the shoe-upper, as indicated in Fig. 1, may be firmly held upon the said upper by suitable clamps or holding devices I), which may be of any usual or well-known construction. Each portion 2 3 of the body a is preferably provided with an inturned edge, (indicated by dotted lines Z),) the said edge being preferably glued or otherwise cemented to the portions 2 3 to reinforce the same along their lower edge, or the said portions 2 3 may be reinforced by strips of tape similar to the strip a.

' By making the hood or protector of paper I am enabled to furnish the same at such a small cost to the manufacturers as to enable them to throw the said hood away after it has been once used, and by providing the paper hood with the reinforcing-strip a the hood is strengthened at the required point, so as to enable it to withstand the Wear and avoid possibility of the same being torn while the shoe'upper is passing through the dilferent stages of manufacture.

I claim 1. The herein-described hood or protector for linings of boots or shoes, it consisting of a body portion a, composed of paper or like fibrous material and shaped, substantially as described, to extend down into the boot or shoe toward the heel thereof, and a reinforcing-strip a, secured to the upper hood near its longitudinal center and extended from near the top of the body a to its central bottom portion, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described hood or protector for linings of boots or shoes, it consisting of a substantially-V-shaped body portion a, composed of paper or like fibrous material, a reinforcing-strip a, secured to the body near its longitudinal center, and a lasting-tag a secured to the end of the strip a and extended beyond the apex of the V-shaped body a, sub stantially as described.

3. The herein-described hood or protector for linings of boots or shoes, itconsisting of a substantially-V-shaped body portion Cb, composed of paper or like fibrous material, and a reinforcing-stri p a, secured to the bodya near its longitudinal center, the said body and strip being divided or split for a portion of their length, substantially as described.

4. The herein-described hood or protector for linin; s of boots or shoes, it consisting of a substantially-V-shaped body portion a, split or divided longitudinally for a portion of its length and provided at its upper part with folding flaps a a, and a reinforcing-strip of textile material secured to the said body near its longitudinal center, substantially as de scribed.

5. The herein-described hood or protector for linings of boots or shoes, it consisting of a substantially-Vshaped body portion ct, composed of paper or like fibrous material, and a reinforcin g-stri p a, secured to the bodya near its longitudinal center, the said body and strip being divided or split for a portion of their length to form the portions 2 3, and reinforcing-edges b for said portions, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SIMEON W. WALES. Witnesses:

JAs. H. CHURCHILL, JOANNA MURPHY. 

